Amusement apparatus



Jan. l5, 1946. A. 'soLlNsKl l 2,393,004

v AMUSEMENT APPARATU-S Filed Dec. 14, 194'2' PII ffii/7224455522 INVENTOR f//s from Patented Jan. 15, 1946 2,393,004 AMUSEMENT APPARATUS Charles A. Solinski, Chicago, Ill., assignor to The Exhibit Supply Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 14, 1942, Serial No. 469,004

1 Claim.

This invention relates to amusement apparatus and has as its principal object the provision of such an apparatus which will be simple in construction, economical in manufacture and highly eiicient in use.

It is an object of this invention to provide in amusement devices a movable object which will effect a psychological reaction upon the part of the user of the device.

Another object of this invention isl to provide an amusement apparatus for effecting a changing scene to be viewed by the user of the apparatus to arouse interest and to amuse the user.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus to simulate a character analysis or a screen test by the employment in suchy apparatus of a movable object simulating an all seeing eye or photographic reflection whereby the person using the machine is personally attracted by the machine.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to -be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawing in which:y

Fig. 1 isga fragmentary perspective View of a cabinet for an amusement apparatus employing my invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary plan View of certain mechanism arranged within the cabinet shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary vertical sectional detail view of the same taken along line 3-3 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary vertical section of the same taken along line 4-4 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical section of the same taken along line 5-5 in Fig. 2;

Fig. 6 is a schematic wiring diagram of an electrical circuit embodied in the device shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive.

.This invention pertains to arcade devices wherein a person, for purpose of amusement, desiring to know certain presupposed facts concerning his character or concerning the possibilities of his adaptability for the motion picture screen, deposits a coin to obtain an answer from the apparatus. The apparatus is generally a card vendor having a conventional card rack I0 for supporting printed cards in a vertical stack and having a motor I I for driving a line shaft I2 in order to operate a cam I3 which engages an ejector I4 for the purpose of pushing the lowermost card from the stack I0 to an exit escutcheon I5.

In addition to vending a card it is contemplated by my invention that certain activity of the machine shall take place simultaneously with the vending operation and be observed by the person operating the machine to add to the amusement vended. In the preferred form of my invention shown in Fig. 1 through 6 the cabinet I6 simulates a moving picture camera having an enlarging lens I'I through which a person may look to see his reflection on a mirror I8. The mirror I8 is set back into the cabinet I6 in alignment with a tubular housing I9 supporting the lens I'I so as to render the reflectability of the mirror ineiective because of the darkened area around` the lens. An illuminating means 20 in the form of a neon tube is arranged in the housing I9 and separated from the mirror I8 by a projecting wall 2I which reflects light emitting from the tube 20 towardthe lens I'I to light up a persons face as he peers through the latter thus subjecting his face to refiection by the mirror I8.

The mirror I 8 is waved in surface contour so as to distort the image to be reflected and to change the shape of the reflected image when the mirror is moved relative to the viewing lens I'I. Means are provided for tilting the mirror I8 as aforesaid simultaneously with the card vending operation. This is accomplished by mounting the mirror I8 on a horizontal axis 22 whereby the mirror may be tilted forward and backward successively by one cycle of operation of the line shaft I2.

A cam 23 is afxed to the line shaft I2 and has operative engagement with a roller 24 carried by a rocker arm 25 pivotally mounted as at 26 on an upstanding frame 2l which supports the line shaft I2. The rocker arm 25 is linked to the tiltable mirror by a connecting rod 28 which has pivotal connection at each of its ends with the respective connected members. (See Fig. 3.)

The cam 23 is so shaped as tocause a quick tilt in the mirror I8 when the roller 24 dips into a slight concavity on one extremity of the cam thus giving a variety of movement to the image reected of the otherwise stationary object positioned in Vfront of the lens I 'I.

The cycle of operation of the motor is controlled by a switch 3|] having engagement with the periphery of a notched disc 3l mounted upon the line shaft I2 for movement therewith. The switch 30 is normally disposed in circuit completing condition as shown in Fig. 5 and controls the circuit 32 to a holding relay 33. A starting switch 34 is arranged in the circuit 32 and is disposed in the cabinet for engagement by the inner end of a coin slide 35 after release of the same by the deposit of a proper coin. When the starting switch 3d is closed by engagement of the coin slide as aforesaid, current from a source of electrical power indicated at 36 will flow into the coil of the holding relay 33 energizing the latter 'and pulling up on its switches 31. As a result of energization of relay 33 circuit will flow from a rectified source of electrical supply 38 into the tube 20. The motor Il will be energized to drive the line shaft i2 and its associated instrumentalities comprising the ejector cam i3, the mirror moving cam 23 and the notched disc 3l; and also the relay itself will be held in energized condition by current flowing through a holding switch 31 to by-pass the starting switch 34.

The foregoing action of the apparatus causes the illumination of the face of the person using the apparatus to render the reflection of such illuminated image by the mirror I8. The cam 23 will function to rock the mirror in a predetermined manner thus creating a distortion of the image to the amusement of the person using the apparatus.` Simultaneously the ejector cam'l3 will withdraw the ejector i4 against the action of its spring 39 to permit the; lowermost card in the rack l to drop down to the level of the ejector I4 Where the card will be pushed into the exit escutcheon kI 5.

After the foregoing operation of the apparatus the notched disc 3l will have rotated until the notch formation on the disc aligns with the switch 30 thus breaking the circuit 32 and deenergizing the coil of relay 33 whereupon the relay switches 31-31 are opened and the neon lamp 2U extinguished. The motor H however continues to opcrate until the notch formation on the disc 3l passes the switch 30 and the latter is again disvention into'eiect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. I, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variationsand modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thusvdescribed my invention, what I claim as, new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

In a device of the class described comprising a cabinet, a tubular housing extending laterally from the cabinet and communicating with the interior thereof, said cabinet having a wall portion, projecting into the tubular housing, a lens mounted at the outer end of the tubular housing, a4 distorted mirror arranged in said cabinet adjacent the inner end of said tubular housing and rearwardly ofthe projecting wallrof said cabinet, means for supporting said `mirror in said cabinet for oscillatory movement, meansl for yoscillating said mirror, and illuminating means arranged in said tubular housing adjacent the outer surface of the projecting wall portion of said cabinet, said projecting Vwall of the cabinet being adapted to reflect light from said illuminating means toward said lens, substantially as described.

v CHARLES A. SOLINSKI. 

